Trans artists are trying to find a safe way to navigate the road amid draconian legislation and hateful rhetoric: “It’s absolutely terrifying”
Those fears aren’t unfounded, according to Jonathan Gooch, communications director for advocacy group Equality Texas. “I think it’s a very real concern that people will take this law as permission to enforce whatever bias they already have about trans performers,” he says.
Adding to the murkiness of these encounters is the fact that, for trans people of color, they are often coupled with racism. “I would say that most of my experience with any sort of prejudice has been race related, and not necessarily to do with my gender or my sexuality,” says Rae Chen, who performs under the name Tofusmell. He released a new EP,, in June. Chen acknowledges what he refers to as the “privilege” of being able to pass as a male and escape certain abuses.
Even basic amenities can become an issue when playing shows, as Shraya points out. “When you make a request, like a private dressing room, there’s just an unspoken assumption, I think, that you’re being a diva, as opposed to it being a safety request,” she says. Pride Month presents its own mixed blessing in this regard. Trans artists report usually being inundated with show requests during June, but the same venues and promoters have a tendency to go quiet for the other 11 months of the year. “Pride is definitely a time where so many of us get gigs and get paid,” says Shraya. “We’ve had a lot of criticisms about these opportunities only coming during Pride, but at the same time, we still need them.
The biggest obstacle for trans musicians, however, doesn’t have to do directly with their ability to perform or not. It has to do with having access to healthcare. “We are already seeing bills that do target adults across the nation. Some of these bills preventing care for trans youth extend through to adulthood,” Gooch says. As a result, “We’ve seen so many people choosing to leave [the state] if they can afford to.
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